Janice Lozano
Women have been permitted to study at Cambridge University since 1869, when Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge, and the first in Britain to offer residential higher education for women. However, despite the apparent tolerance of female students, Cambridge University did not grant degrees to women until 1948, almost eighty years later, making it the last British university to do so.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year female students were first admitted | 1869 |
| First women's college | Girton College |
| Year degrees were granted to women | 1948 |
| Year of the historic poll to grant degrees to women | 1897 |
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What You'll Learn
Cambridge University allowed female students in 1869
In 1869, Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge University, and the first in Britain, to offer residential higher education for women. This was made possible by Emily Davies, who refused to accept the university's position that women were not allowed to sit for exams and continued to train her students for them unofficially. However, despite this milestone, women were still denied access to the University, and they were not allowed to take degrees or participate in its governance.
The first two women's colleges at Cambridge, Girton and Newnham, were founded in 1869 and 1871, respectively. In 1871, Mary Paley Marshall was awarded a scholarship to become one of the first five students at Newnham College, Cambridge's second women's college. In 1874, she was one of the first two women to take the University's Moral Sciences Tripos, and in 1875, she became the University's first female residential lecturer in economics.
Despite these advancements, it was not until almost a century later, in 1948, that Cambridge University began awarding degrees to women, making it the last of the major educational institutions to do so. In 1897, the University held a historic poll to decide whether women should be granted full degrees, but the proposal was defeated due to strong opposition from male students and alumni. This event sparked riots and protests, highlighting the University's complicated relationship with gender and misogyny in education.
The exhibition "The Rising Tide: Women at Cambridge" showcases the persistent marginalization and ongoing campaigns for gender justice by female students, academics, and staff at the University. It tells the stories of the struggles and successes of women at Cambridge, including the violent opposition they faced during their fight for equal rights and recognition.
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But women were confined to women-only colleges
Women have been admitted to Cambridge University since 1869, when Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge and the first in Britain to offer residential higher education for women. However, female students were confined to women-only colleges such as Girton and Newnham and were not allowed to graduate with degrees until 1948, almost eighty years later.
The fight for women to receive degrees from Cambridge University was met with violent opposition. In 1897, the university held a historic poll to decide once and for all if women would be granted full degrees. Despite female students having attended lectures and taken exams for over twenty years, the official rule still forbade them from attaining degrees. The poll sparked a riot along the Senate House gates, with male crowds burning effigies of female students on bikes. The proposal to grant degrees to women was ultimately defeated by 1713 votes to 662.
Even after the establishment of Girton College in 1869, female students at Cambridge continued to face suppression from the wider university. They were required to attend lectures accompanied by a chaperone and could only visit the library during reduced female-only hours. In 1871, Mary Paley Marshall was awarded a scholarship to become one of the first five students at Newnham College, Cambridge's second women's college. Although women were unable to receive degrees at the time, she became one of the first two women to take the University's Moral Sciences Tripos in 1874.
The campaign for women's rights to education at Cambridge University was met with resistance and protests from male students and alumni. In 1880, over 8,000 people signed a petition calling for women students to be allowed to take their degrees and participate in university governance. Despite these efforts, it was not until after the Second World War that women gained greater liberation in education and other sectors. However, the expectation for women to return to their "proper" place caused tension between the genders across society.
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And were not granted degrees until 1948
Women have been admitted to Cambridge University since 1869, when Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge, and the first in Britain to offer residential higher education for women. However, despite the apparent tolerance of female students at the University of Cambridge since the mid-nineteenth century, the university had an uncomfortable connection to misogyny in education. Although female students were allowed to attend lectures and sit exams, they were not granted degrees until 1948, almost eighty years later, making Cambridge the last British university to do so.
In 1897, Cambridge University rejected a notion to give women degrees by 1713 votes to 662. Huge crowds, primarily made up of men, gathered at the university to protest the vote and to try to convince voters to decide against the rights of female scholars. The crowds burned effigies of female students on their bikes, threw eggshells and set off fireworks. This violent opposition caused outrage in the national press, and while the other colleges raised money to pay for the damages caused, many rioters remained unrepentant, claiming that it was female students who were invading them by seeking equal status.
The University of London had allowed women to attend their institution for the first time in 1868 and to receive degrees in the 1870s. In 1878, female students at Durham University were allowed to receive their degrees, and St. Andrew's allowed women to graduate in 1892. In 1920, women at the University of Oxford were permitted to receive their degrees for the first time. When Cambridge attempted to follow the precedent of these other institutions in 1897, they experienced uproar from men at the university, and women were once again left without their rights.
After the Second World War, women were liberated in many sectors of life, from education to the workplace, and realised they could do everything that men could do. However, when the soldiers returned from the war front, women were expected to return to their "proper" place, which caused tension between the genders across society. It was in this context that Cambridge University organised another vote on the issue of female degrees.
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In 1897, a proposal to give women degrees was rejected
Women have been admitted to Cambridge University since 1869, when Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge, and the first in Britain to offer residential higher education for women. However, despite the apparent tolerance of female students at the University of Cambridge since the mid-19th century, the university had an uncomfortable connection to misogyny in education. This was evidenced by the fact that Cambridge University did not grant degrees to women until the late 1940s, making it the last British University to do so.
On 21 May 1897, Cambridge University held a historic poll open to all faculties, students, and alumni to decide once and for all if women should be granted full degrees from the university. This poll was met with violent opposition, with rioting and effigies of female students being burned. The official result of the poll showed that the proposal was defeated by a vote of 1713 to 662. The male crowds that had been protesting and rioting celebrated the defeat of the proposal, with confetti and handheld rockets set off along King's Parade.
The rejection of the proposal in 1897 was a significant setback in the fight for gender equality at Cambridge University. It demonstrated the strong resistance and opposition faced by female students and scholars at the university. Despite the efforts of activists like Mary Paley Marshall, who was one of the first female students at Cambridge and a lecturer at Newnham College, the university continued to deny women the same rights and opportunities as their male counterparts. It would take several more decades of struggle and activism before Cambridge University finally awarded degrees to women in the late 1940s.
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Women faced violent opposition at Cambridge
Women have been admitted to Cambridge University since 1869 when Girton College, the first women's college at Cambridge, was established. However, despite the apparent tolerance of female students, the university's relationship with misogyny in education is undeniable. Women faced violent opposition at Cambridge as they fought for their basic rights and equality.
In 1869, Girton College became the first women's college at Cambridge, and the first in Britain, to offer residential higher education for women. However, even after this milestone, women at Cambridge continued to face significant barriers and opposition. They had to navigate restrictions, such as needing permission to attend lectures and requiring special permission to take exams. They also had to contend with the expectation of being chaperoned in public until after the First World War.
The battle for female students to obtain degrees at Cambridge University was particularly contentious. In 1897, the university proposed granting limited rights to women, allowing them to receive degrees but denying them the same graduation rights as men and excluding them from university governance. This proposal sparked outrage, with large crowds, primarily consisting of men, gathering to protest and attempt to influence voters against the rights of female scholars. The proposal was ultimately rejected by a significant margin, with 1713 votes against and only 662 in favour.
The Clough Memorial Gates at Newnham, another women's college at Cambridge, were damaged by rioters against women's rights. The rioters remained unrepentant, claiming that female students were invading male-only spaces and seeking equal status. This incident caused national outrage, but it also reflected the persistent resistance to women's advancement at Cambridge.
It is important to note that even as female students were admitted to Cambridge, they faced violent opposition and were confined to "women-only" colleges. It was not until the late 1940s, almost eighty years after the establishment of Girton College, that Cambridge University finally began awarding degrees to women. This delay made Cambridge the last British university to grant degrees to female students.
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Frequently asked questions
Women were first admitted to Girton College, Cambridge's first women's college, in 1869. However, they were confined to "women-only" colleges and were not allowed to graduate with degrees.
In 1948, Cambridge University finally began awarding degrees to female students, almost eighty years after they were first admitted to the university.
The admission of female students at Cambridge University was met with violent opposition. In 1897, a historic poll was held to decide if women should be granted full degrees, leading to riots and protests by male students. Despite the uproar, the proposal to grant degrees to women passed with 662 votes in favour.
